First Look Poll: DeSantis and Graham lead in race for governor

A weekend before voting ends in the August 28 Democrat and Republican primaries, it’s becoming clearer which two candidates for Governor will emerge with their party nomination.

Congressman Ron DeSantis holds an insurmountable lead over Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the Republican nomination for Governor, according to a new Gravis Marketing poll of likely voters released in conjunction with FLA News.

DeSantis holds a double-digit lead, 39% to 24%. In the Gravis Marketing poll conducted in July, DeSantis held a 9% lead.

Despite recent polling showing Putnam had closed the gap in the GOP race, the Gravis Marketing survey confirms most other public and private polling showing DeSantis with a double-digit lead. DeSantis was trailing in the polls to Putnam until late June when President Donald Trump tweeted his full endorsement. He followed that up in July with a personal visit to campaign for DeSantis. The conservative Congressman from Northeast Florida has made the Trump endorsement the foundation of his campaign. He mentions it during every stump speech and makes it the focal point of his campaign commercials. And for good reason. The latest Gravis Marketing survey shows the President with an 84% approval rating among Republicans. Among all voters in Florida, Trump’s approval rating is the same as his disapproval rating – 48%.

On the Democratic side, former Congresswoman Gwen Graham has extended her lead to 26%, followed by Jeff Greene at 19%, Philip Levine at 18%, Andrew Gillum at 15% and Chris King at 5%. Graham’s lead is identical to the July poll from Gravis Marketing.

Graham has pulled away from the crowded Democratic field in the past month as well, despite being significantly outspent by both Greene and Levine. Graham is a one-term Congresswoman who represented the panhandle. She walked away from Congress after redistricting made the district a majority Republican seat. Graham campaign’s on her political lineage. Her father, Bob Graham, was a two-term Governor, a three-term U.S. Senator and a 2004 candidate for President.

The Democratic primary poll is among 308 likely voters and has a margin of error of ±5.6%. The Republican primary poll is among 321 likely voters and has a margin of error of ±5.5%. The survey was conducted August 21 and 22 using an online panel of cellphone users and interactive voice responses (IVR).